- 3 minutes ago
Grant and Danny get you ready for Thursday Night Football as the Washington Commanders prepare to take on the New York Giants!
The guys dive into the numbers behind Washington's defensive performance, examining whether the defense is showing legitimate signs of improvement under its new defensive leadership. Is the arrow finally pointing up, or are the recent numbers misleading?
The guys dive into the numbers behind Washington's defensive performance, examining whether the defense is showing legitimate signs of improvement under its new defensive leadership. Is the arrow finally pointing up, or are the recent numbers misleading?
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00:01Grant and Danny on the fan.
00:04Game time, 8-15 tonight.
00:06Commanders and Giants.
00:08By the way, it's a double dip.
00:11Capitals at Devils, also up in the Meadowlands area.
00:15They are in the Prudential Center in Newark.
00:19Josh Harris' Devils taking on the Capitals,
00:22and then his Commanders taking on the Giants.
00:24He goes to both, do you think?
00:25I don't think so.
00:26I was actually asking around about that.
00:28You can't get to both.
00:30I mean, you can do part of each.
00:31But there's 84 hockey games.
00:33He's not at a ton of Devils games, I wouldn't imagine, anyway,
00:36because he's here a lot.
00:37He's 76ers a lot.
00:39Yeah.
00:39Would you make this hockey game during a primetime NFL game a priority?
00:44Probably not, I wouldn't think.
00:45Again, it's not something I can relate to as a non-billionaire type person,
00:49but I imagine if it's like, oh, how cool is this?
00:51My two teams are playing, I don't know how many miles it is,
00:54from the Prud to whatever, to the Meadowlands.
00:57But that's one of those, yeah, let me do the I'm richer than everybody
01:01helicopter bits.
01:02Just seems to be something, like, if you could pull it off,
01:04why not showcase it?
01:06Apparently it's only 9 1⁄2 to 10 1⁄2 miles,
01:0920 minutes with normal traffic from Newark to the Meadowlands sports complex.
01:12It feels about right.
01:14It feels double-dippy to me.
01:16I guess you could go to maybe the first period or so of the hockey game
01:20and still get there by kickoff.
01:22Yeah.
01:22Maybe he does.
01:24Wizards host the Pistons tonight, Capital One Arena as well.
01:27So you got a chance for the D.C. trifecta.
01:30Or the live-fecta.
01:31Three teams play, three teams lose.
01:32But I like the Capitals tonight.
01:34The Wizards last night, real quick, not what we're talking about today,
01:37but come on, dude.
01:38Come on.
01:39That bad against the Pacers?
01:41Today's not the day.
01:42It's not the day!
01:43But we need to have a Trey Young conversation.
01:45Yeah.
01:47Uh-oh.
01:47We might need to have an Anthony Davis conversation.
01:50There's a lot of discussions that might be needed.
01:52Some discussions.
01:52On the Wizards front.
01:53But let's talk Commanders and Giants.
01:55So in diving into the numbers defensively,
01:59everything that you wanted to happen out of the bye is happening.
02:03Durante Jones is in year one as a coordinator.
02:05This is the ascension and the growth that you're looking for.
02:09The arrow is very much trending up.
02:12I just took the last two games.
02:14I know that's a tiny sample,
02:15but it is the two games they've played since they had the bye week
02:18to kind of get back in the lab,
02:19figure out what they like, what they don't like.
02:21Since the bye week, they are 13th defensively in EPA per play.
02:25They are top 10 against the pass.
02:28I'm going to say that again.
02:29That's the insane number.
02:30They are top 10 against the pass the last two games.
02:33And they are fourth in yards per pass attempt.
02:37They have been better against the pass than the run
02:40in terms of EPA per play.
02:41They're 13th.
02:42But they have lived in the backfield
02:45and dominated the line of scrimmage.
02:46They're third in tackles for loss.
02:48So that accounts for the five sacks against the Eagles, obviously,
02:50but that's a lot of run game stuff as well.
02:53You think about the Nick Cross four-yard loss this past week,
02:55some of those types of plays
02:56where you're flying into the backfield.
02:58So I start to think,
02:59okay, they've really turned a corner.
03:01This is, I don't know if it'll be linear,
03:03but this is a much better defensive team.
03:04And then you realize,
03:05well, the Eagles you played against a backup quarterback
03:07in Tanner McKee,
03:08who's already been benched since.
03:09That was a non-starter who was playing badly.
03:13They also did not have weapons.
03:15Devontae Smith didn't play in that game.
03:16Saquon Barkley did,
03:17but I think we'd all agree
03:18that was not the real Saquon Barkley.
03:20That was like a guy who was wearing his uniform.
03:22Sure.
03:22Who looked a little bit like him.
03:24And then this past week,
03:25you played the Rams and that's Matt Stafford.
03:27But as we pointed out all week long,
03:28and I think people saw this,
03:29he's not really playing at a high level this year,
03:32partially because of the personnel around him.
03:33They only have Puka Nakua
03:35and he went bananas.
03:37Like he went ham sandwich against you,
03:3919 targets,
03:4014 catches,
03:40buck 50 through the air.
03:42But they don't have anybody else in that offense
03:44that scares you at all.
03:46So I ask you this question, Danny.
03:48It is irrefutable statistically
03:50that they are playing well since the bye week.
03:53The debate is,
03:54have they fixed something?
03:55Are they better?
03:56Have they turned a corner?
03:57Or is this based on who they've been playing?
03:59So let me go back to the Niners game
04:01before the bye week to answer the question.
04:04Who I think is the most instructive thing here?
04:06The first half,
04:08Mike Evans,
04:09who moves around,
04:10not very well,
04:11frankly,
04:11but had a myriad of injuries,
04:13just was not himself,
04:15would have gone for 200 yards in that game
04:17if he could have continued.
04:18He was destroying them.
04:19Whatever he wanted,
04:20whenever he wanted,
04:21whenever they wanted.
04:21He leaves the game,
04:23and to their credit,
04:24they're able to make some adjustments,
04:26change a couple things,
04:27who knows what exactly,
04:28but there's no threat from San Francisco,
04:29so San Francisco didn't score,
04:31couldn't move the ball.
04:32Since then,
04:33the second half of that Niners game,
04:35they've been able to take advantage
04:37of less than stellar offenses.
04:41Right?
04:41I mean,
04:42the Rams still able to move the ball
04:43mid-300 yards against them,
04:45but nothing crazy.
04:46So,
04:47to me,
04:48it's all about
04:49whom they've played.
04:51Now,
04:51the second layer of that,
04:53because that's taking credit away from them,
04:55to give them credit,
04:57early this season,
04:58I don't know if they were good enough
04:59to overcome,
05:01hey,
05:02the other team isn't particularly good.
05:04It might not have mattered.
05:05You might have had your career day.
05:06Some guy you never heard of
05:07goes for 250 yards.
05:09Some guy you never heard of
05:10out of the backfield,
05:12or some receiver
05:12making his name against you.
05:14They're better now
05:15than they were
05:16when they first kicked off
05:17on September 13th
05:18against the Eagles.
05:18I really believe that.
05:19I think there's no question about it.
05:21I don't know how you could argue against that.
05:23Yeah,
05:23they're above the threshold
05:24to be able to take advantage
05:25of bad.
05:27And that's not nothing.
05:28Again,
05:29that's,
05:30you know,
05:30what?
05:3245% of the league
05:33has a bunch of flaws.
05:35Guys are injured.
05:36It's not the A offense anymore.
05:38They can do some damage
05:39against those teams now.
05:40And they probably couldn't
05:41in September.
05:44The question for you guys
05:45on the phones,
05:46800-636-1067 is,
05:49while both are a factor,
05:51clearly,
05:52which has been more important
05:54to this surge
05:54over two weeks?
05:56That they've actually improved
05:57and they're playing better,
05:58meaning you're confident
05:59they go into tonight
06:00and in future weeks
06:01against good teams,
06:02and they actually do look
06:03way more confident,
06:04or just that they have benefited
06:06from a soft portion
06:07of the schedule.
06:08I will bring up
06:09one more number.
06:10I gave you all the rankings.
06:12They've played two games,
06:13Eagles and then Rams,
06:14since the bye week.
06:15If you look at points
06:17off of sustained longer drives,
06:19and I'm saying
06:20more than 50 yards,
06:21that's just,
06:22a 50-yard drive
06:23is nothing.
06:24I mean,
06:25that means you might
06:25get into field goal range
06:26or you might not.
06:27In today's NFL,
06:28you probably do
06:29because you're starting
06:29around the 30
06:30or the 25 or whatever.
06:31So you're probably getting
06:32a field goal attempt
06:33out of that,
06:34especially with the length
06:34of some of these kickers.
06:35But field goals
06:36don't beat you,
06:37and I think that could be
06:37a win too
06:38for a defense.
06:39They've given up 14 points
06:40in two games.
06:41That's it.
06:42Zero against the Eagles.
06:44The field goal drive
06:45was, I think,
06:4640 yards.
06:47The touchdown drive
06:47was 50 yards,
06:48something like that.
06:49And then the Rams game,
06:50they had two field goal drives
06:52on very short fields
06:53where they actually
06:53did a decent job
06:54and two touchdown drives
06:55on 60-plus yard drives.
06:57But they haven't actually
06:57given up a 70 or an 80
06:59or a 90-yard drive.
07:00It hasn't happened
07:00over the last two weeks.
07:01So to me,
07:03that is the best bullet point
07:05you got as to the improvement.
07:06And then the dilemma
07:07becomes,
07:10how are we getting here?
07:12800-636-1067.
07:14Ryan is in Alexandria
07:15on the fan,
07:15wants to hop in.
07:16Are they getting better
07:17or have they just played
07:19against two teams
07:19that made them look
07:20pretty good offensively?
07:22What's up, fellas?
07:23And it's Brian,
07:24it would it be,
07:24but it's all good.
07:25Hey, Brian.
07:26I would say
07:27they're getting better,
07:29but I attribute it
07:30to some specific
07:33personnel things,
07:34and that is
07:35the return
07:36of Nick Cross
07:37and the return
07:38of Trey Amos.
07:40And I think even
07:41I would say
07:41Doris Armstrong,
07:42if you tell me
07:43that you can play
07:44half your games
07:45with Amos,
07:48Cross,
07:49and Armstrong
07:50on the field
07:51and the other half
07:52or however many it was
07:53with them off the field,
07:54no matter who
07:55the opponent is,
07:56I think they're going
07:57to get a different
07:58defensive product,
07:59and I think it's going
08:00to be better
08:00if you had those guys
08:02on the field.
08:04So I actually,
08:05like I said,
08:06I think it's better,
08:07but I attribute it
08:08to the personnel.
08:10It's actually a really
08:10good point.
08:11Thank you, buddy.
08:11In the secondary especially,
08:13because frankly,
08:14with the injuries
08:14they have on the D-line,
08:15Deron Payne's out
08:16for the year,
08:16that's very damaging.
08:18Javon Kinlaw's out,
08:19I think,
08:19for the year now.
08:20I remember he was on IR,
08:21but then they came back
08:21and said he won't return.
08:22That's a significant loss,
08:24big, big loss
08:25in terms of literal size,
08:26but also figuratively
08:27to that defense,
08:28what he meant.
08:29You're worse off
08:30on the D-line.
08:31They've been adequate
08:31with Tim Settle
08:32and Shai Tuttle
08:33and some of those guys,
08:35but you're not going
08:36to be as good up front.
08:37In the secondary, though,
08:38where Cross is
08:39an incredible talent,
08:40he has really been
08:41a game changer for them
08:42when he's been out there.
08:43He's violent,
08:44he's aggressive,
08:45he's fast.
08:45He's in on everything.
08:46He runs a 4.340
08:47and he looks like it.
08:48What Sean McVay
08:49used to call to me
08:49functional football speed,
08:51which is like a funny
08:52coach-speak thing,
08:53but you know what it means?
08:54Yeah, of course.
08:54There are guys that run
08:55four sixes,
08:56but they never get
08:56tackled from behind.
08:57He's got that.
08:58He is always faster
09:00than everybody else.
09:00He arrives in the
09:01backfield first.
09:03Cross has been great.
09:03The pick against the Rams
09:04was a play where he just
09:06knew exactly what was coming
09:07and baited Stafford
09:08into a throw,
09:09and they didn't have that
09:10when he was out.
09:11So the combination of him
09:12and Amos has certainly
09:13elevated this defense.
09:15I think guys like Reeves
09:16and even Quan Martin
09:17have looked better
09:18with the talent around them
09:19now in the secondary
09:21because you're probably
09:21asking for a little bit less.
09:22I tend to agree with that.
09:23Yeah, so that gives,
09:26but to answer the specifics
09:27of the question,
09:27he's basically saying,
09:29no, it's them.
09:30And they've gotten better,
09:31but it's also two starters
09:33crossing Amos back
09:34that make a huge difference,
09:35especially in an area
09:36that they were so weak.
09:37What was their vulnerability
09:38for the first, what,
09:39five, six games?
09:40Everyone knew.
09:41If you wanted to throw
09:42against them, you could.
09:43They made Jameis Winston
09:44look like Joe Bleep in Montana
09:46in the second half of that game.
09:47It was so easy,
09:49despite the weather
09:49not being the best.
09:50They were picking them apart.
09:52I don't know that you could
09:53do that now.
09:53Again, I still think
09:54it's the weak link.
09:55I know what the EPA per play says.
09:56I know what the numbers say
09:56the last couple games.
09:57I think that's more
09:58a Tanner McKee situation
09:59than it is, you know,
10:01that this defense has turned
10:02into a ball hawking
10:03unbelievable group.
10:04Oh, that's actually
10:05a really interesting point
10:06you just made.
10:06So going into tonight,
10:07you have more confidence
10:08in the offense
10:09than the defense?
10:10You're calling it
10:10the weak link.
10:12Last week, the offense
10:13killed them
10:13and the defense didn't.
10:15Well, I just,
10:16I mean on defensively,
10:17their weakness
10:17was dealing with
10:19the ball in the air.
10:20Their pass defense
10:20was right.
10:21But as you look at
10:22this game or any game
10:23right now,
10:24who do you trust more?
10:26The defense or the offense?
10:28Defense.
10:28I mean, isn't that alarming?
10:30Yes.
10:31Isn't that a gigantic problem?
10:32Oh, yeah.
10:34800-636-1067.
10:35What are your expectations
10:37for the commanders
10:38defensively tonight?
10:40Are they as improved
10:41as the numbers
10:42would make it look?
10:43By the way,
10:43the Eagles
10:43are the worst offense
10:45in the sport.
10:45It's not particularly close.
10:47They average 4.2 yards
10:48per play.
10:48They're dead last 32nd.
10:51The Rams
10:51are much better
10:53in terms of their
10:54overall offensive ranking.
10:55But it was Puka Nakua
10:57or Bust
10:57because they didn't have
10:58Devontae Adams
10:59who helped them put up
10:59some of those numbers
11:00early in the season.
11:01And they didn't have
11:02Terrence Ferguson
11:03who's their best
11:04playmaking tight end
11:05as well.
11:05But that was a top 10 offense
11:07that the commanders
11:08held to sub 5 yards
11:10per play.
11:11Grant and Danny
11:12with you
11:12on a game day
11:13on the fan.
11:14in the call.
11:14You're市